Drip Irrigation For Increased Vegetable Production

In most places in Kenya, irrigation is a necessity of farming. Crops planted in Kenya require irrigation even if the rainfall is okay most times of the year. Irrigation is even on high demand especially in semi arid areas. Water is literally life.

Plants use water to form oxygen and carbohydrates. If a plant does not get enough water, it will have a lower immunity to pests and disease, yield will decrease, and if the water stress is great enough, the plant will die.

Though irrigation is often necessary, poor irrigation can cause a multitude of environmental complications, such as depleting or degrading surface water, groundwater, or soils. An inefficient irrigation system can also cause undue stress on plants from overwatering. Other than wasting water and money, overwatering can drown crop root systems, leach nutrients, reduce root growth, cause water-logging and salt buildup in the root zone, and reduce quality and yield of the crop.

Farmers in Kenya have come to identify one type of irrigation system that has saved them costs and increased their vegetable production highly. This has been realized through Drip Irrigation.

Drip irrigation by definition, is an irrigation method that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. It is done through narrow tubes that deliver water directly to the base of the plant.

Drip or trickle irrigation is well acknowledged for its efficient method of applying water and nutrients to crops. For many crops, the conversion from sprinkler to drip irrigation can reduce water use by 50 percent.

I love that soil nutrient depletion is lessened when you apply a drip system method in irrigating. I will have to see how my parents feel about putting in such a system as a gift for mother/fathers day. They are avid gardeners and would really appreciate such conservation too. Thanks for sharing.